Chief of Staff

Chief of Staff - Private Office
UK (Hybrid, with UK and international travel)
Salary: c. £100,000-£120,000 depending on experience.
 
One of our private clients requires a highly capable Chief of Staff to run a busy private office day to day. You will report to the Director of Private Office and drive the principal's schedule, team and budgets, keeping everything aligned and standards high. The role is full time and hybrid, with at least two days a week in the office and frequent travel within the UK and overseas.
This is a broad, influential role covering operational leadership, people management, financial control and improving how the office works. You will be the hub of the office and the principal's first point of escalation, leading a team of PAs, office staff and stylists.
 
Key Responsibilities
Planning and Scheduling

• Lead regular planning meetings across the teams, looking ahead at commitments for the principal and wider family, including events, briefings, travel and styling needs
• Anticipate conflicts and gaps in preparation before they become problems
• Give every agreed action an owner and a timeline, and see each one through to completion

• Keep a firm handle on the flow of team messages, making sure requests are picked up, routed correctly and acted upon
• Chase outstanding and time-sensitive matters until they are closed
• Check diaries, papers and daily updates to the principal so they are accurate, complete and clearly presented

• Build and manage rotas that guarantee the right level of support across office and styling functions
• Brief the principal on team availability, travel cover and upcoming absences
• Nominate a lead PA for each trip and keep travel and workload evenly balanced across the team
• Approve holiday requests in line with the principal's commitments and team capacity, resolving clashes fairly
• Put robust handovers in place whenever duties change hands

• Run regular one-to-ones and keep confidential, well-maintained personnel records
• Manage hiring and onboarding, ensuring role profiles and recruitment records are current
• Own the team structure and responsibilities framework
• Track performance, workload and development, tackling issues promptly and escalating where necessary
• Partner with senior colleagues across the wider household to strengthen procedures and systems

• Prepare clear monthly and trip-by-trip spending reports for the principal
• Sign off travel within agreed limits, weighing up schedule, staffing, logistics and cost
• Refer spend beyond those limits with a reasoned recommendation

• Lead office initiatives, including the rollout and upkeep of a CRM and a programme introducing automation and AI tools
• Keep the office manual and operating procedures practical, up to date and easy to follow
• Embed ways of working that support continuity and a consistently high level of service

• Background as a Chief of Staff, Head of Private Office or senior EA within a family office, private office or UHNW setting
• Confident leader with hands-on experience of rotas, leave, appraisals and hiring
• Exceptionally organised, forward thinking and detail driven
• Comfortable with budget oversight, spend reporting and approvals
• Track record of introducing new systems, technology or process improvements
• Composed and decisive when priorities shift quickly
• Flexible with hours around travel, events and urgent requirements
• Happy to travel regularly in the UK and abroad
• Utmost discretion and integrity